Pacers take care of Clippers before back-to-back against Nuggets
The Pacers never trailed against the short-handed Clippers on Sunday night to earn another quality win with the Nuggets in town for another tough matchup on Monday.
The Pacers took a 2-0 lead 58 second into the game against the Clippers on Sunday evening and never trailed for the remaining 47 minutes of action, cashing in a 129-111 win over the Clippers who were light on fire power with both Kawhi Leonard and Norman Powell unable to answer the bell.
The Pacers have no time for sympathy, though as they try to maintain their space in the East on a night when the two teams (Bucks and Pistons) behind them in the standings also took care of business, scratching and clawing for difficult wins.
Similar to the Pacers win over the Grizzlies, seven Pacers scored in double figures, but Tyrese Haliburton lead the charge finishing with 29 points and 12 assists. The Pacers took a 66-55 lead to halftime despite James Harden pumping in 22 points and 8 assists before the break. Haliburton had 10 points and 7 assists at the half, but pushed the Pacers into another gear with 17 points and 5 assists in the third quarter which included a 4 of 4 shooting effort from behind the arc.
Myles Turner also made four treys as part of his 17 points. Pascal Siakam had 12 points and 12 rebounds to help fortify a 46 to 32 rebounds advantage for the Pacers which is a remarkable rebound advantage for the Pacers under any circumstances.
Aaron Nesmith picked up where he left off against the Grizz with 19 points and 6 rebounds. Obi Toppin added 10 points along with his requisite highlight dunks. Haliburton floated a lob pass too high (no easy task) and wide to Obi late in the third quarter which created a turnover and eventually lead to a frustration timeout by Carlisle. Haliburton made up for it with a steal after the timeout then delivered an “East Bay” lob pass to Toppin for an easy finish. Ah, the audacity of youth.
TJ McConnell made his presence felt with 13 points in 15 minutes, but left the game limping after turning his ankle in the fourth quarter. He was able to leave on his own and took some time before heading back to the locker room, but will likely be questionable for the Nuggets on Monday.
Speaking of the Nuggets, they are in Indy after dropping their last game at home to the Lakers which snapped a 9-game winning streak. Throughout the strong play of late, Jamal Murray has appeared to find his groove which is often a lethal combination when paired with Nikola Jokic.
Fortunately, the Pacers lead throughout the win over the Clips allowed the team to manage minutes for the back-to-back. Myles Turner played the most with just over 31 minutes, while Siakam, Haliburton and Nembhard all played about 30 minutes. The Pacers don’t go to Denver until early April so this will be the first matchup between the two teams.
Pacers vs. Nuggets
Where: Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, IN
When: Monday, Feb. 24, 2025, 7:00 p.m. ET
TV: FanDuel Sports Network
Radio: 93.5/107.5 The Fan
Odds: Pacers +4
Projected Starters
Pacers: Tyrese Haliburton, Andrew Nembhard, Aaron Nesmith, Pascal Siakam, Myles Turner
Nuggets: Jamal Murray, Christian Braun, Michael Porter Jr., Aaron Gordon, Nikola Jokic
Injuries
Pacers: TJ McConnell (ankle) - questionable, Isaiah Jackson (Achilles) - out
Nuggets: Aaron Gordon (calf) - probable, Jamal Murray (knee) - probable, Vlatko Cancar (knee) - out, DaRon Holmes II (Achilles) - out, Peyton Watson (knee) - out